Monday, March 24, 2008

Tightening the Noose on The T-Birds

The biggest mistake for the Rockets in game three is to let the T-Birds off the hook. Making a hit, taking a hit to make a play, and playing a role for the betterment of the team is again needed tonight. A loss by the Rockets in game three makes this a brand new series.

Evan Bloodoff, Myles MacRae and Dylan Hood are just three players who have sacrificed their body for the sake of the team. Hood is the first to loose pucks while MacRae and Bloodoff have thrown caution to the wind in taking big hits to make big plays. Your courageous play has not gone unnoticed gentleman.

I question if the Rockets have played this physical this season?

Look for the T-Birds to play their best game of the series tonight. Essentially tonight's game is a must win situation for Seattle. Going down 3-0 with game four Tuesday at Prospera Place would be a huge undertaking for the visitors.

The T-Birds have opened the scoring in both games in this playoff series.

The T-Bird have failed to score a even strength goal in the series, with all three of their goals coming on the power play.

Of the 9 goals scored by both teams in this series, eight have come with the extra man.

Rockets veteran goaltender Kristofer Westblom has started in back-to-back games while RikuHelenius has started both games in goal for Seattle. Westblom is now 5-1-0-0 in 7 career playoff appearances. Westblom was not credited with a win or a loss in a relief playoff appearance against Everett in 2006.

The two teams have been tied going into the third period in both games.

The Rockets are playing their first playoff game at home since April 14, 2006 in a 3-2 overtime win against the Everett Silvertips.

The Rockets are now 6-0 in their last six stops in Seattle in the post season dating back to 2003. The Rockets last playoff loss in Seattle was April 22, 2003 in a 3-2 overtime setback. Tyler Metcalfe scored the game winner in the second overtime period, despite the Rockets firing 52 shots on T-Birds goaltender Brent Krahn.

The Rockets and T-Birds are expected to compete for a WHL championship next season. The two teams have just six combined 1988 born players on their roster. The Rockets have Myles MacRae, Colin Joe and TysenDowzak while the T-Birds 19 year-olds are Bud Holloway, Greg Scott and goaltender RikuHelenius. Oddly enough the two teams each have seven players on their roster from the 1989 age group, or 18 years of age.

Which Kelowna Rockets will make Team Canada?

Who will win the BC Division this season?

World Gym Kelowna/West Kelowna

Regan Bartel

Will Cal Foote and Kole Lind be taken in the first round of the NHL draft?

About Me

Bartel is a radio broadcaster for the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. Bartel is enjoying his 26th year in the radio broadcast industry, spending 13 years at CKSW in Swift Current before moving to AM 1150 in Kelowna in the summer of 2000. Having called the play-by-play for the Swift Current Broncos and Kelowna Rockets, Bartel has called games at five Memorial Cups (2003,04,05,09, 2015), the CHL Top Prospects Game (2012) and the Canada-Russia Subway Super Series (2009). To listen to audio, just type audio in the window at the top left of the screen.